Why These Oils Are Best for Tool Handles
How to use drying oils to finish and maintain your tool handles. Also, a little about drying oils and the difference between toxic boiled linseed oil and raw linseed oil.
Amazon link to raw linseed oil amzn.to/1q12f6Z You can shop around, but I like using the food grade stuff. The Sunnyside oil smells like solvents, not sure what's up with that. This is actually cheaper or close to the same price.
WALNUT OIL, sometimes cheaper than raw flax oil: amzn.to/2FluF5J
As usual with me, this is the long version. I'm more here to help people understand materials and the world we live in than just to show steps on how to do things. Drying oils are awesome for finishing wooden tool handles. They make a tough, grippy, durable, beautiful surface finish that will never flake off. Discussed are types of oils and why drying oils work for this purpose and how I actually go about applying oil and maintaining the finish. Just my personal experience and understanding, glad to hear anyone else's in the comments.
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lol. I like this dude! Seriously good info with just enough dry humor.
I just was saying this to myself, one year latter , hes still getting out a true message worth ranting! cheers!
I could not find a lot of good info about oiling until now. This was very refreshing for my mind. Thank you
Cool, you should watch my more updated one on penetration, saturation and coating.
@@SkillCult Awesome video thanks. I'll check out the other vid as well. So great you can make the wood so resilient and preserve it for so long.
"I this this is interesting, but I'm a dork." I relate, sir. I definitely relate.
I was taught as a rule of thumb . When starting a handle with linseed oil you follow these guidelines Once a day for a week Once a week for a month Once a month for a year Then once a year
Steven was diagnosed years ago with a mental condition known as 'dummyrulephobia'. careful triggering symptoms!
Me too. But, doesn't this philosophy run contrary to the video? "Dumb rules", n'est pas?
@@swingbelly Not if you're actually using the tool.
The old timer's rule of thumb, but I disagree after the once a day for a week since the oil will polymerize inside the fibers of the wood which will stop the wood from absorbing more oil until it saturates to the core. I personally use a 50/50 mix with turpentine and apply at least 24+ more coats within the 2-3 days until it no longer absorbs the oil.
Thank You for good info on harmful effects of the boiled linseed oil. Most of the woodwokers use it without thought
Eight years later : Exactly the information I was looking for. --- Thanks for the great upload. ---
Watch my newer content on oiling handles. The one on penetration, saturation and coating.
Why am I just now discovering this channel?? This guy is my hero!
Same!
Haha I like the hemp rant!
T3hJonesutv
Only watched this for the Hemp Rant. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for your honest and helpful explanations.
Great overview and some expert advice, well researched. Awesome work as usual.
Thanks for the information. You're a natural teacher.
Super insightful, brother! Thanks for the share!
thank you.keep spreading the knowledge .
Excellent, thank you for showing this
Looking forward to more and thank you!
Thanks for this, been looking for a good path to finish my opinel knife.
I really appreciate the info about solvents and heavy metals added to boiled linseed oil. Also, I did not know that flax oil and linseed oil were the same thing. Cheers!
Another fun fact: Canola oil is made from rapeseed. It's just harder to market anything called RAPESEED.
Great explanation. Very useful info. Thanks for sharing.
Good helpful advice that makes sense and also in tune with the natural world. Good one fella.
I have my first ax it’s a condor , 26 inch handle it seems balanced but using it will tell me the real story. Thanks again for the schooling on using and everything else about axes
I love that intro. Looks like a badass & gives himself away as being a dork. TOTAL BADASS!
Great instruction and information. Thanks!
Great video! Dude, you’re one smart guy! Great info. I just coated my shovel with linseed oil
Good stuff and love the hemp rant. You're correct, linen made from the flax plant was King until the cotton Kings had it banished.
Good presentation very helpful.
Thank you for the breakdown on linseed oil.
+mister smith You're welcome. I'm planning to do some tests to compare all of those drying oils. Should be interesting side by side all in exactly the same conditions on the same materials.
The best explanations on KZhead!
thank you, I try!
Wow, it looks well protected AND beautifully antiqued at the same time. LOVE it...thanks so much, man! :D
On a lot of handles now, I'll try to saturate the outer rind of the wood and then don't worry about anything on the outside of the handle. I have another video talking about that. kzhead.info/sun/qMmPmcOGhpSZnGg/bejne.html
But, barring filling the wood, built up layers work pretty well and the do look good :)
Nice handle.. love how you get into the actual science of stuff
I like to create a blend of drying oils. Blending cheaper oils with more expensive. Seems to work just fine. Great video!
I've been using up a 5 gallon container of Archer BLO from the 60's (maybe). I had no idea that there was lead oxide dryers in it! Thanks so much for the info. I am going to cover them with new raw ASAP.
Thanks for being real about all things. whether it be hemp or the quality of a steel striking tool ! Just now subscribed and look forward to watching your other video's. This is coming from someone who has lived the country working life for 53 years, it's refreshing to run into someone who has been there/done that and is level headed. Much success and Good luck my friend !!
Thanks for the good words!
Thanks for making informative videos man
First video of yours I have watched and after watching I subscribed thought it was great video skillcult look forward to watching your others thanks for the help on oil!
Your videos really fill a niche that I don’t think anyone else does. And, I truly appreciate how much thought and how much plain smarts you bring to each topic. So... kudos! And... thanks!
Thanks. I appreciate that. Tell that to the algorithm though. I don't seem to be able to bet much real traction on here.
I knew most of this but I still learned just the thing I needed to know. Good job!
Raw linseed oil. One coat for a day for a week, one coat for a week for a month, one coat for a month for a year. But you also explained it beautifully.😊
Thanks for the great video! Love the explanations as to the WHY and the HOW and the SCIENCE behind the drying oils. I'm very much of the more I know the better I truly understand the concept of whatever I'm doing, and the better my success. Great content!
+Matthew Fraser Thanks Matthew! One of the things I hope to do with this channel and on my site over time is put down stuff about various natural materials and their properties and working qualities. That's the kind of stuff that more people used to have to know in order to be able to pull off making things from "nothing".
great video lots of detailed information and research
+anumba1 thanks!
Best vid yet! Thanks a ton. I've got a half dozen handles to repair.
Thanks, my thoughts have evolved a little on the subject. I'm even more into saturation and penetration and much less concerned about finish. Short version, lots of oil to fill the wood to some depth, then you don't need any finish. Cheers.
Great job bro! Subscribed!
When I was a small boy, Linseed was diluted with Mineral Spirits and sprayed on wood shingles to the point of runoff, looked amazing for years.. A few months ago, I applied chainsaw bar oil to a cheap shovel and placed in the sun, reapplied 2-3 coats daily as much as would soak in. I'm rubbing some off with my cloth gloves and the handle color is amazing after a few months. I did this because its basically cooking/mineral oils to preserve the wood because these shovels often are left in the weather (as a former soapmaker, I learned Canola is related to Linseed, often used as bar oil).. You have great info on maintaining wood handles.
This was so helpful. I have many BPS Knives and want to darken and protect the wooden scales. HC steel so I have to treat it with kid gloves. Thanks for this!
Very comprehensive. Love the chemistry angle. Never knew about those added impurities in boiled linseed.
Straight forward..good stuff..i agree on your outcome..ive done bout everything in the past n ya the lead in boiled lineseed not good..The rant on Hemp is great..the truth..love it..rock on in the sticks brother..out..
Thanks for the great info.
Very informative. Thanks.
Just started watching some of your axe... Sharpening. ..handling...care of videos! I am very impressed and like how you relay the information and done in a way that (at least I can tell) lets us know you actually do this stuff! It isn't all he same stuff a lot of other people do to were it all seems fake and the same info keeps getting spit around. Thank you and well done! Now I have to watch your biochar and apple videos! Also will subscribe!!
Thanks Gene. I try to know what I'm talking about or own the information I put out in some way that it's not just what I vacuumed up elsewhere. Welcome to the channel :)
Nice no BS vid - thanks, I learnt a fair bit about Linseed Oil.
thanks :)
Excellent video, I really enjoyed your presentation. No bullshit or theatrics 🙏thank you. New sub.
Love your review brother. Appreciate your experience with the different oils and your thoughts on hemp, lol
You used the term "riff off of" Bonus point! Very happy to have found your channel, especially since you lit a fire under my ass with your biochar vids. Many wishes for future success and videos.
Thank you!
From recent experiences I totally agree about varnish on wooden handles - it's basically a very crappy! Well, initally it might seal the wood, but after prolonged exposure to water it starts to flake off. And yes, I can say from experience that it gives blister when tools are used heavily. I was bringing in hay this summer with a pitchfork - a very nice tool I think but with this thick nasty varnish on it. Ofter a few hours I had a big fat blister and had to put on gloves - I generally don't like to work with gloves on. I remember a video from Good of the Land about a axe that was lost on the wood floor for about a year. It only took a light sanding and a new layer of linseed oil to get the handle up and running.
good video. very informative.
No response necessary as I work my way through your archives. Interesting chemistry lessons and beautiful rich finishes on those handles. I see a pattern in your endeavors... biochar, tanning, appling, great finishes, apple butter, gardening... Time, patience, more time, more patience. Thank You.PS... Read your article on grafting... whip and tongue looks amazing... I can see the logic in a well stabilized "whip only" graft and the side graft is just cool the way it looks and works. Thank you!
Honestly, you can just make grafts up as you go. Just make sure there is cambial contact, stability and good timing.
Thank you for a great interesting and really informative video, very well explained, I have just made a wooden carving mallet and was just looking for the best finish for it, I usually use boiled linseed oil and now will take your advice and try find raw linseed oil, although I have never seen it here N.Ireland Thank you again (just subscribed) Take care and be safe Sam
Informative as always, I always wondered why boiled linseed made my hands itch
Man, that's scary.
And I love your straight up rant about hemp. It is a great fiber. Tell it like it is with humor. Rock on hoss.
Great information man. Thanks.
I also love the patina linseed oil puts on the steel tool heads too.
+BeSatori Thanks. I haven't used it too much for that unless I"m putting something away to keep it from rusting I have burned it on, usually with beeswax as a finish on metalwork hot out of the forge. That will stave off rust for quite a while.
Yeah, I imagine that would season it like a cast iron.
thanks. I never knew about the lead.
Really great video. I really appreciate that safety is such a prominent theme amongst all your videos. I loved the bonus hemp rant at the end. Too bad the battery died.
Glad I watched this. Most videos I’ve watch insist on a light coat but if it’s a new handle first coat, you should apply liberally.
Nice vid thanks for the effort and info!
I just bumped in to your channel today. Thanks for reminding me to oil my handles - the seldom used ones. I just thought I'd mention that my Dad taught me to sand down well-weathered or neglected handles to fresh wood then use a 50/50 mix of raw linseed and turpentine (not mineral spirits) to help deep penetrate and revitalize the wood. Once that was done, add the raw linseed oil just like you stated. It must work pretty good because I've inherited his garden tools that he got from his folks. He did this to them in the '60s (one garden rake is about 80 years old with the original handle). All I had to do was re-oil them once to bring them back up to a useable condition. Don't you just love that linseed oil smell? I was a kid in the '60s and It reminds me of oil-based paint for baseball dug-outs, bleachers, fences etc. Ah! All those memories...
Thanks. I've had the 50/50 mix recommended quite a bit.
You can get small bottles of Linseed oil to experiment with at art supply stores. Oil paints are commonly made with Linseed. You also use it to seal wooden hand pallets.
I been experimenting with adding a little pine tar to the linseed oil for handles that might get left out in the rain. For stuff that needs hardcore waterproofing I add asphalt (roofing) tar, it sheds water like crazy but won't flake like paint. The original black paint that was used on Model T Fords was linseed oil plus gilsonite (natural asphalt). Also, if you want to make your own safe boiled linseed oil, you could use iron as the metal (some commercial boiled linseed does, but it may also have manganese). Add a lot of iron and you will have the classic red barn paint.
+445supermag thanks for that great input. I do have some plans to experiment with mixes of linseed/beeswax/pitch for deep penetration finishes. Linseed oil doesn't hold up well in the weather. I think mostly to UV light probably. I figure some pitch and wax might really help. I'm all about penetration though, and not just with using solvents. Penetration with solvents means that less of what we want is getting in deep. Like if the mix is half solvent to make it thinner and better penetrating, that means that when the solvent leaves, we have half as much oil left in the wood as if it was all oil. Again, speed over quality, the modern paradigm. Most people are terrified of inconvenience. I've got some experiments planned toward a simple system for deeper penetration of pure waxes, oils and pitch. I was hoping to do it last year, but hopefully I'll pull it off this year. I had read that iron worked for drying and had thought about experimenting with it. It obviously is less effective, which is why it's not used but like you said, maybe we can just use more and make something like an iron oxide oil paint. hydrogen peroxide many be another to experiment with, but it would probably have to be used in an emulsion. But if very little is required, that might be okay. I'm still a little unclear about the real life, qualitative differences between dried raw oil and dried oil with metal driers (referred to in all the old literature as japan drier). Any insight on that would interest me. I plan to test that in a semi-controlled way as well. Thanks for the thoughtful and informed comment. BTW, one of my hammer handles is half covered in that roofing patch asphalt stuff. It is does seem pretty bomber. Maybe I'll add natural asphaltum to my list of things to throw in the experimental mix. It occurs naturally on the California coast and has been used extensively in the arts by the native inhabitants.
@@SkillCult Very interesting stuff. I've used a mixture of Linseed oil, beeswax and turpentine to water proof canvas. Its an excellent way to make a simple tent, and I'm pretty sure it was used by the soldiers in the war of the states, and probably long before that. All you do is heat those ingredients up, (being careful not to set yourself on fire of course), and when it dries it solidifies into a wax like substance, then you can spread it on canvas or whatever you feel like waterproofing, and use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat it up, which makes it melt into the fibers and when it dries it forms and excellent waterproofing layer. I wish I could remember the amounts to mix but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find out for anyone interested. Thanks for all your work, keeping all of this knowledge from going the way of the dodo bird.
Absolutely love your videos. No bullshit spiced with a bit of honest profanity. I especially appreciate the "dumb rules" sneer in that rules are meant for dummies and all others learn! Thank you. Think I have broken almost every "sociatal rule" since 1968 and have become a more "together" person.
Thanks man.
Thanks for the info! I knew some of it already but always adding to that knowledge base! BTW, I read the warnings! LOL! Too true on the hemp stuff also. I had a hemp shirt once upon a time, wore like iron and broke in nicely but it was canvas like. It would never be as nice as linen, it's impossible to get as fine of fibers from hemp as you can from flax. Enjoy your work, carry on!
I've seen some nice hemp cloth and fiber, but typically they are more rough. I'm not sure how much of that is limitations of hemp v.s. just lower effort on the part of manufacturers. I think that the whiteness of linen had partially to do with it 's popularity. Hemp is great, I just get tired of the bullshit propaganda.
and good for you for reading he warnings :)
SkillCult hell, I read 'em before I buy anything! LOL! Agreed on the hemp, I think it would produce finer fibers but the makers stop short. Perhaps we will see in the future. Carry on, dig your work!
First time comment, skillcult rules!! I love axes and he covers everything about them. Keep the videos coming
:)
Good info. As a kid, I worked for a local farmer, hoeing thistles. Always had to clean the tool, oil the blade and handle with boiled linseed before putting it away. He had a huge rack of hoes, pitchforks, shovels etc: 3 generations worth. Lovely patina and smell in that shed.
Great information! Thanks
Great video !
Nice good information.
I saw this video a few months back, and it inspired me to learn more about flaxseed oil and linseed oil. As it happens, flaxseed and linseed oil aren't exactly the same thing; by most definitions, flaxseed oil "becomes" linseed oil once it's been refined in some manner. There are a lot of processes for refinement, but a very basic one involves combining flaxseed oil with water in a container and shaking the mixture vigorously (a process known as "washing"). A painter by the name of Tad Spurgeon has done some great research on the subject, and there are a several good videos here on KZhead outlining different washing methods. Anyway, I just though I'd pass this info along in case you weren't already aware. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
It is often heated briefly too I think. for most of my uses, it doesn't seem to matter much and I use mostly raw flax oil. I'm sure it matters in the arts and for varnishes and such though. I've made stand oil, but haven't reasearched all the linseed oil processing stuff too much. that's for commenting.
I like the rant, & would love to hear the whole thing.
maybe someday....
bring the rant!!!!!
Thank you well done.
I like to add a bit of transmission oil to the linseed oil to get a bit of a reddish hue. Used to do that for teac on boats.
This is the most accurate and informative video that I've seen on the subject. I know very little about oiling tool handles, so I've watched as many YT vids as I can. There are lots... and many of them are just plain wrong. I live in the UK where the climate destroys tools in the shed. I've been re-handling lots of old tools and want to use the right oil. My inclination is to go with Tung oil because it penetrates deeper, dries faster and smells better than raw linseed oil! Cost is not very important compared against the price of rehandling. Thanks again for producing a well-informed and soundly thought through video. Paul
I just like a thin slow drying oil because it soaks in further before the surface seal over. BLO cures so fast that it's hard to keep getting multiple deep penetrating coats. Dudley Cook author of The Axe Book says the same as I do, use raw oil and keep saturating it till it won't take any more. I got some tung oil when I did this video, but haven't messed with it yet. Just be sure to get the pure stuff or you're going to get something with solvents. My outdoor tools get torn up just because of horizontal rain and stuff. It's really hard to keep up. I need to build a shed. You may end up with mold problems on the oiled handles in your climate. I'm just now working on a video about thickened linseed oil and stuff like that. Oils are interesting. People used to know the properties and categories of oils, but now petrol products have replaced a lot of the natural oils people used for all sorts of stuff.
A man without a shed is like a dog without a tail. It can be done but it's like you lost a part of yourself! I take all your points about linseed oil as true and valid, not least the issues of price and availability. I went through all our tools a month or so back and have had to renew the handles on 3 axes, a sledgehammer, a maul, 4 hammers, a garden rake, 2 shovels and a hoe. They were mostly suffering from cracking and shrinkage due entirely to my shameful neglect. Rust has taken a toll on the neglected steel too. In the past I have used raw linseed oil on them but not nearly enough, obviously. I did slather some on most years but my real failing was in not getting lots on when the handles were new. Having now had to face up to the real and not inconsiderable cost of tool neglect, all in one hit, I thought I'd make sure to get the treatment right first time. If you need an American analogy for our climate it seems to be something like your Pacific northwest but not so cold in the winter.. just wet and grey and miserable :-) I've been amazed at how, on this particular subject, so much bullshit is expounded by people who don't actually know and simply repeat other people's pontifications, quite often with great aplomb. Your video is refreshingly honest and humble.... and accurate too! I've been persuaded by both yourself through your reasoning and a Canadian video (address below) specially made on Tung oil, that Tung oil is probably better and worth a serious try. I can get the pure stuff for £14 a litre which translates to about $18 a quart. (I won't buy a gallon because the oil oxidises in the can). This is about 3 times the price of raw linseed oil. www.canadianwoodworking.com/get-more/tung-oil-debunking-myths I wrote a much shorter reply last night but our 22 year old cat decided to walk across the keyboard and demolished my carefully crafted response, so I'm afraid yo get the full Monty today! Now that I'm a subscriber I'll have to follow up on what you're all about! One last thankyou for the best video on a subject riddled with falsehoods and mistakes. Paul
Thanks mate. It took me a lot of trial and error and long observation to see what really should be obvious, but really isn't. That's how most things work though. Put your tung oil up in small jars filled to the top and they should keep indefinitely. I've noticed recently what I've suspected all along. Once you really seal the surface off with a good coat of dried oil, you can't penetrate it again. I've been soaking some hammer heads in oil that got loose in our very hot dry summer this year and since they've already been soaked, they won't tighten at all. I want to see everything saturated to probably 1/6 inch or more the first time around or when restoring old handles. After that, a coat can be built up on the surface if wanted or over time. Now I'm messing with thickened linseed and oil paint. I should have something out on that in the next week or two. I'm a few months behind, but most of my stuff including all my old articles from other blogs are on www.skillcult.com in easy to navigate visual menus.
Awesome, thank you
That ax handle is a thing of beauty. Regarding the "boiled" linseed oil being full of solvents and lead, look out for Teak Oil too; Teak Oil is another "oil" that is actually an oil based solvent and not a natural oil...found that out the unpleasant way also. Thanks for the video.
BEWARE OF BIG HEMP! seriously hell yeah, thanks for this. I tried this on my knife's handle now I'm gonna do it on my wok's handle. the info on boiled linseed oil was great possibly lifesaving
Ha ha.
very good information
Great videos by the way. I was referred by essential craftsman as well. I now what your channel and E.C. almost religiously.
E.C. is cool.
15:08 Ok, I thought it was Bamboo that will save the world lol. Great lesson on oils. Thanks.
thanks for braking it down im nerdy and love to work with wood so thanks
There's a lot more to drying oils too, especially linseed. Fascinating stuff. Different types of natural oils and their uses I think used to be more like common knowledge out of necessity. Petroleum products have made that knowledge more or less unnecessary.
Really helpful I Just learned 3 new mistakes I was making. Wish I'd watched this 8 years ago
You might want to check my content published after this on oiling tool handles. I clarify some ideas and more focused on penetration and saturation over coating.
Thanks, man. I've been given a marvelous scythe that's at least 60 years old, more likely even older, and the snath is a rare and beautiful handle. THIS was what I needed to know. I have plenty of time for the linseed oil to properly cure before the growing season begins, and I wanted to find out how to best strengthen the wood fibers before they start taking on stresses that no one has put on this tool since the 1960's. Though I have concerns about the condition of the very end of the snath, where a metal collar attaches to the scythe blade, the rest of the length of the snath is in near-pristine condition. However, it's obviously been laquered at some point, and I want to give the old wood a really good cleaning and locate any spots where the wood has broken down. With great-good-luck, the collar won't need to be repositioned, and come springtime, I'll learn how to go to town with the best nature restoration tool out there--scythes can be used very selectively to cut invasive species out from around native plants. Wish me luck!
cool. If it's the curved American style handle, check out 42 blades, he's the american scythe guy.
great info - thanks
Thumbs up on this video, especially the Hemp Rant [long may it wave]. I concede all of your points regarding these oils. This is more by way of a suggestion than a quibble regarding Tung Oil: Back when military gunstocks were wood, the U.S. Army switched from Raw Linseed Oil to Raw Tung Oil as an 'initial arsenal dipping tank treatment' [follow-on field maintenance remained with Linseed Oil due to ready availability] for two main reasons 1) Moisture intrusion resistance -and- 2) A higher 'smoke' temperature [due to barrel heating during sustained fire; the smoke potentially revealing your position]. Admittedly reason 2 is unlikely to have relevance in axe use unless every time you look over your shoulder you are looking at Babe your blue ox. But, moisture resistance has practical benefits in field use in wet/damp weather; built up Linseed Oil finishes on rifle stocks get gummy in the wet and require attention to remove impressed fingerprints and the like [much less of an issue with the primarily in-the-wood finishes on handles but that moisture is still getting through the finish]. Tung Oil is significantly less prone to taking up moisture and is part of the reason Chinese watercraft used it as a wood preserving finish for centuries [that and the fact that is grown over there]. OK, finally to my narrow application for Tung Oil, it occurred to that it might be useful for your rawhide wraps in keeping moisture from both the rawhide and the hide glue as well a being a decent alternative to Raw Linseed Oil [except for cost] as a handle treatment. I started watching your videos with your Husqvarna 26" Axe series because I bought their 19" Carpenter's Axe a month ago and in handling it came to pretty nearly the same conclusions as you did regarding the handle configuration for 'choked up' use [little to no two-hand use on this one]; grain orientation is great, a bit of a gap at the front of the eye, but too big, too fat up near the cheeks. I guess I'm a subscriber now.
thanks for all that. The way I do my handles now, I like the slow drying effect of raw linseed oil. I really don't have a lot of experience with Tung and any I've used was probably a formula. I have some tung oil now, that is pure, but haven't had any cause to use it beyond testing, which I haven't got to yet. I am using more saturation of the outer rind of wood now and I think in that context and not worrying about coating the surface once saturation is acheived, it is quite water resistant. I've not noticed any stickness, but again, it's in the wood and not really a built up coating. here is some more up to date info on how I operate and think now, which is slightly evolved from this video. kzhead.info/sun/qMmPmcOGhpSZnGg/bejne.html
Awesome Info!
Great insights
excellent info my friend, exactly what i needed for applying oil on my new axe. i have check your Amazon link, it is actually for a boiled linseed product not raw .
+supernova1976 thanks, fixed. I actually changed the link to a food grade oil that is as cheap or cheaper than the industrial stuff. The sunnyside oil smells a bit like solvents to me, actually a lot. Not sure what's up with that, but I'm sure it is extracted with solvents. This is amazingly cheap. I wouldn't eat it, but it should be safe to use on anything for sure. amzn.to/1q12f6Z
am I going to find anybody on KZhead that really has some serious knowledge about raw linseed oil? Don't know if it was the sleeveless shirt or beard but that's where I went and got all the knowledge I needed! Appreciate the info and ya got a new subscriber if ya still have a channel
Great video, thank you. Prompted by it I have just checked the side of a bottle of "Teak Oil" that I recently bought for some walking sticks my children and I made ourselves: YUK, I certainly won't be buying any more of that!!! From now on I'll be looking for food grade raw linseed oil only, as you advise. Many of my tools with wooden handles have decades of grime in the wood - some I inherited from my Granddad - so I'd be very interested to learn your thoughts on how best to prepare those before treating with raw linseed oil, please. I found your channel through Essential Craftsman, and have subscribed to it, so I hope you'll keep up the great videos. There's really nothing like this in England, at least not that I know of, so you're sharing knowledge that seems sadly lost to most of us...
You can get pure teak oil, but you have to sniff it out, or would you guys say sus?:) I learned that watching english crime dramas lol, but maybe the usage isn't right. Raw flax is easy enough to find here, though it's expensive. I actually stopped using the industrial stuff because it smells like solvent even though is says pure raw linseed oil. I've found pure raw food grade flax oil for really cheap though at the discount food store. Almost as cheap as the industrial stuff. Don't worry about grime! If the finish is not to your liking, sand o scrape it till it is, then oil. Dirt is no problem, unless it's preventing penetration. If you have old checked handles though, it should soak in great and it will do them a world of good. I may reshoot this and emphasis saturation. That's what it's about to me. Not necessarily super deep, but saturating an outer rind, maybe like 1/8 to 1/4 inch. it takes time, maybe even weeks, and uses a lot of oil, but it's awesome. I certainly plan to keep it up. My goal if anything is to help people get back to being what most people used to be, which is having at least a basic competence regarding common materials and processes. Just understanding how things work better instead of walking around in an essentially foreign environment all day in terms of our understanding of the things and stuff and phenomena around us and what it is possible to do with them. Check out Paul Sellers if you haven't. He's awesome.
Oh I'm not worried about the embedded grime on some of my older tool handles: I look on that as many decades of irreplaceable patina, and a small connection back to my Granddad who undoubtedly helped to put it there :-) I've owned and enjoyed using some of these tools for decades, so the least I can do for them now is to treat them to a few weeks of TLC with some oil as per your advice. There's no immediate hurry though, so I'll start by checking out various foodstores for linseed oil, although I don't think I've ever seen it outside of sports/DIY stores in UK and never used for cooking or even described as food-safe. If I find it cheap, and food-safe, I'll let you know so you can tell others in UK. "Sus" is an interesting word, but (officially at least) it mostly relates to some form of suspected criminal activity. There's a law in UK that allows a Police officer to stop anyone who he has grounds to *suspect" may be doing/carrying something illegal. It's commonly referred to as the "Sus Law" (and unsurprisingly is unpopular among those who fit the demographic most likely to be stopped...). It's sometimes also used as a colloquial alternative to "understand" e.g. "I need to sus out the answer to this problem" so you were close with your usage, but I've never heard it used in regards to finding a physical object (only the answer to a problem). Hopefully that helps? I'll check out Paul Sellars, thank you. And thanks too for taking the time and trouble to respond in detail above, I really appreciate it.
Great info on linseed oil. I had no idea that the boiled oil wasn't just oil that had spent time at high temperatures in a saucepan (so to speak). A little disappointed too. Much like raw sugar is nothing like raw! I attended a longbow making course a few months back and have been oiling up my bow with raw linseed oil. Our teacher's bow was made from spotted gum, the same as us students bows yet his was the deepest red colour you'd ever seen. I asked about the wood he'd used and couldn't believe it was the same spotted gum, just oiled and oiled! A beautiful finish! Another use for boiled linseed oil I'd come across was making oilskin from fabric. After what you've said about lead etc in the boiled oil, I think I'll try the raw linseed oil instead. I was planning to make my kids some raincoats out of old bedsheets and oiling them up. I don't want my kids near lead at all if I can help it.
Rabid Little Hippy Hi Rabid! :) I know, it pisses me off actually and I think they should make it more obvious that it isn't safe. I think they can get away with it because it is such an old product under that name with the dyers added. A lot of woods oxidize and darken with age too, plus linseed is known to darken as well, something that wood workers aren't fond of, but that may be a matter of taste. I would use a better base material for your oil cloth if you can. It is a lot of work and oil to use. I've seen recipes for that in old formulas books. Try searching google books for things like "to make oilcloth". You can limit the search to earlier time periods, usually 1920 back to the early 1800s is good for that kind of stuff. It's totally on my list of things to do. I've made small experiments, but nothing big yet. Most of them use a filler, like iron oxide. I wouldn't be surprised if some called for prepared oil. Stand oil is heated linseed, but apparently heated for days in a sealed container away from oxygen. Pretty big project on the homescale. Thanks for sharing! Good luck with your archery. I'm sure you'll be shooting bounding kangaroos in the eye in no time!
Steven Edholm I might pass on the roo's but the rabbits are fair game! Good point re the oilskin jackets. I don't want to purchase new if I can help it though. Still, valid point. survivalsherpa.wordpress.com/2014/10/01/how-to-make-lightweight-oilskin-tarps-from-bed-sheets/#comment-20096 is the post from whence the idea came... Teamed with this page - eqos.deviantart.com/art/Diagram-for-Large-Hooded-Cloak-216510179 . I hope it's ok to share the links here. If not, email me and I'll forward them. :)
Rabid Little Hippy Cool links. That does look really cool. I'm sure a quality sheet is pretty strong, but used sheets usually become pretty weak, I guess that was my main concern. I'd like to make one of those tarps. I like tarp camping and the oil cloth tarp I have is old and heavier than I'd like it to be. Let me know how it goes. It's pretty easy to do some small tests. I think you'll find that most of the old recipes use a filling material of some kind.
Three-quarter is Linseed oil with a quarter pint tar. The Vikings use pine tar to weathertight their ships. It works great.
I LOVE your hemp rant and agree 100%. It’s not as strong as a fabric and degrades SO MUCH faster from sunlight that linen or even nylon polymers and the oil is way too expensive
I don't think it should be expensive. In common production, it should probably be cheaper than linseed oil. the fiber as well. It's good fiber, hemp just isn't better than everything else, always.
The hemp "rant" was on point. I continually hear the same general contention regarding cannabis and CBD products, as if it's some type of cure-all wonder drug.
You get that with lots of things, diets, biochar, no til, mulch, etc etc. People like the panacea thing. But hemp/cannabis is especially bad.
Great video....! Can you tell us more about the older texts and or source materials you are referencing? I love to know where to access practical old school knowledge...
+GFD472 I like reading old technical manuals. There are some formula books, like Henley's, that have a lot of cool stuff, different recipes using drying oils and such. I've read paint books, formula books, books on oils and fats, fibers, glues economic plants. Probably the best way to learn historical technical info like that now is to use search engines for old books that have been scanned. I use Googlebooks a lot because it is very searchable and you can search by date. If you navigate to googlebooks, and click on search tools, you can select by century or select custom dates. Type in Linseed oil for instance and I'll be you'll get a gajillion hits. Or, I can research a rare apple and find the couple of rare references to it that exist in old books and periodicals. I use it all the time for research projects. It's amazing. I used to have to collect those obscure books whenever I could get them, like Casein and It's Industrial Applications, not many of those around! Now there is more and more of it digitized. Amazing, Check it out, you'll have a field day! I have research projects on my website on Biochar and Potato Onions using those that I could never have done otherwise. There is just no way I could ever have dug up all those references. Here is the one I did on biochar. Cool stuff: skillcult.com/blog/2012/05/18/some-citations-on-biochar-in-europe-and-america-in-the-19th-century
+SkillCult Thank you very much for the detailed answer. I had no idea there was so much older technical material available for research. There is almost no end to the list of topics I would like to learn more about.....so.... it looks like I have all my winter reading lined up! Thanks again!
+GFD472 The most awesome part is the searchability. You can't always no what to search, but it really allows you to narrow down the amount of material you have to wade through to find what you are looking for. I've also ran across a lot of cools stuff I wasn't looking for though. That's pretty much how that charcoal as a soil amendment article came about. Have fun!